Ejrahk/Ezria

Rehal sat her mount on the Ejrahk-Ezrian border, surrounded by Graal and twenty of her strongest warriors. The entire tribe's strength was four hundred, but she left the bulk of them back on Ejrahk land. It was a sign of good will, the closest she would make. Two weeks ago the birdmen had asked for a meeting, and they had just now worked their way to the spot that had been appointed. For people who put such high stock in time, it amused her that they'd likely been waiting for weeks. It was also a clear message, the Ej'Matria did not run like a dog on the beck and call of Ezria.

'' What is the best way to kill a barbarian? '' King Casimir had asked ambassador Batyn Anda at the time within the Royal Palace at Coronne. Anda had fumbled for words, after all he was no warrior he was a diplomat.

'' You hire another to kill him. '' Casimir said, answering his own question. '' We weaken both that way and ensure that our own forces remain intact. Contact the Ejrahk, my father used their clans against the Dwarve's over a century ago. It saved Ezria from losing Agrina and other cities. Do it again. '' Peace talks with the Dwarve's had collapsed completely, which meant that Anda had to find an alternative. The King wasn't going to settle just for peace, he wanted to crush the Dwarve's the way his grandfather and father could not.

'' No doubt they want access to the mountains. Offer them access to the Holy Sites of their god.. What is it called? Calva? ''

That had been two weeks ago, for two weeks Batyn had been sitting in this filthy hovel waiting for the tribesman to show up. '' My lord, my lord. '' A runner said, scampering into the hut.

'' The barbarians have come. '' The Elf said, Batyn eased his way out of the hut. A small guard of ten accompanying the diplomat as he mounted his Gryphon and drove it down towards the waiting tribesman.

'' Which one amongst you is Chief? My King has terms to offer you as we have in times past. ''

The guard shifted, and Rehal rode forward. She took in the man, dark eyes impassive behind the near mask of tattoos crisscrossing her face. Heavy scars dotted her bared forearms, and muscle stood out like whipcord against the dark brown of her skin. "I am Ej'Matria, my name is Rehal. This is Graal. No talk is made without his council, and so he will listen." That said, she got right down to business. "What talk does the birdmen wish of us?"

The Ezrian held up a scroll which he doubted the filthy human's could read. '' My Lord offers access to your pilgrims to reach their ancient holy sites. We offer not gold this time for your people's services but trade links..and of course your shrines. Which will be respected by my King and Ezrian's everywhere by Royal Decree. ''

A long pause followed, his eyes locking with the woman as he judged her take on his offer. ''In exchange, the Ejrahk will provide soldiers for my King's war against the Dwarven Underfolk. What say you? ''

Rehal could hardly believe it. Here they were, offering access to what her people had sought for centuries. She ignored the scroll, sharing her people's disdain of the written word. Were the birdmen's minds so feeble, that they had to write down what they ate for breakfast? If things were worth remembering, they would be told and remembered that way, not written down. Still, she was wary. "Where is your lord? I am head of all of Ejrahk, and I do not fear coming to make decisions for my people. My people have chosen to honor me, and so I hear words in person. Who are you, that your lord trusts you to speak for a people?"

The Ezrian chose to simplify his words to something that they would understand from their inferior tribal society. '' I am...'' Batyn began, searching for the right term. '' I have been the one chosen to speak for my Chief. I am one of his War Chief's and I have the authority to speak for him. '' That was a lie, Batyn wasn't a General but if it gave him more respect in the eyes of these beasts than so be it.

'' My lord cannot come in person, he is on the battlefield leading his people. Would you waste time talking when their are enemies to be slaughtered? '' Casimir was actually in Coronne and determined only to venture out of his stronghold only if he was absolutely needed at the front but..Batyn was sure that the King would come to Agrina for appearances sake in the near future.

"War Chief?" Rehal shared a look with Graal, and the two burst into laughter. Encouraged, the warriors around them broke into broad grins. War chief? Where were his tattoos, his scars? If this was what a War Chief looked like, then they would surely have to move to push the birdmen back into their place before the seasons had changed. Calming, she wiped a tear of mirth from her eye. It somewhat mollified her, that the man could not come because he was tending to his people on the battlefield. That was well and good, and surely the most important spot to be. "To act in haste and commit sin against the god is surely worse than talk. We are not stupid. Time, time, time, you men say. Time will take care of itself. These dwarves, what have they done to be so sinful? Will killing them later bring grief to the Ejrahk?"

Batyn's fingers curled around his riding crop, the diplomat keeping his tone careful and his actions measured. '' They poured out of the mountains two months ago, killing our soldiers and rekindling an ancient blood feud. I would not be laughing Chief. If the Dwarve's win, your chance of recovering your holy sites will be gone forever. You have sided with us in the past, do you think such a long lived race will not have forgotten? More like the half men will burn what's left of your shrines to Chavala. '' He'd see how quickly that possibility wiped the mirth from their faces. '' The King will rest only when the Dwarve's have been ground into dust. You must choose though, your warriors are needed on the battlefield. This is the only time Ezria will offer this chance to your people. '' Anda said.

The thought of the sacred shrines being burned, the altars desecrated... the thought was terrible to contemplate. The looks on the faces of the Ejrahk was fearsome to gaze upon, as they tightened their hands upon the reins. The birdmen were hardly trustworthy, but their goods were useful. And waging in war against the Dwarfs would be honorable. Rehal looked at Graal, then back to the diplomat. "We cannot decide within minutes. Give us until the sun has set, to talk and consult with our god. It is a heavy weight, to decide for my people. I will not take it lightly." She made a slightly nudge with her knee, the horse turning in perfect tandem with her desire. "We possess food, and fuel for a fire if your men need it." It perhaps three hours, by their time, until the sun set. Enough time to deliberate with Graal, and make the necessary sacrifices. Under a normal condition she would tell them to simply wait, and call a convention of Matria at Kresh. But that would take weeks, and this man looked ready to spit as it was.

'' I will wait by our lines. Gather here when you are ready to talk again. ' The Ezrian ambassador said before riding back towards the handful of Kashig bodyguards that surrounded the Ezrian diplomat. Within minutes they were skirting back towards the diplomats camp. Batyn was already preparing his next salvo aimed at cajoling the tribesman into action if they refused, he had threats and bribes up his sleeve but he trusted that it wouldn't come to that.

Rehal turned and rode back to the main tribe, where her people eagerly gathered around to hear the news. Rehal related the happenings, and as she expected the response was mixed. Some were in favor of simply killing the band of diplomats, and pushing towards the battlefield where these birdmen fought the dwarfs and slaughtering the lot of them. Others felt that they should leave the area, and let the nations have their own petty debates. As expected, the debate raged for nearly two hours as Rehal consulted with her tribe, the best she could do in discussing this matter among her people. Eventually, it was decided. As much as they disliked helping the birdmen, the possibility of allowing their sacred places to be burned and destroyed were unacceptable, and access to them was more than they could hope for.

The Avian's would be able to see the bonfires the Ejrahk built, and as the sun sank lower to the horizon came the sacrifices. They were small, but several goats were given to the god among wild cries and furious dancing of the Ketar. Graal read the signs, and eventually the matter was settled. As the sun kissed the horizon Rehal rode back to the appointed spot with her escort. "War Chief!" There was some mirth in her words. "We have reached a decision."

Batyn had been pondering the response. No doubt they'd murdered a few animals, sorted through its entrails, and divined exactly what Chalava wanted the tribes to do. Ezria had a checkered past with the tribes. They had fought some of them, had paid some of them off, used some of them as mercenaries during the First Avian-Dwarf war. He was bracing for the worst possible answer a no. The 'War Chief' eased his way back towards the group. His bodyguards a few paces behind. '' What shall I relay to my lord? ''

"We will fight. Your people value those bits of paper. We want it written on one, that our sacred places are now ours. Ejrahk will come to tend them, and Ejrahk will come to worship at them. We will not disturb or harry your people when going to and from them. It has been many years since we last had access to them, so it may take time to find them all. This agreement will last for one of your years, starting from the end of the war. After we can talk and make another agreement, trading honest good. We will not steal." Rehal was stating some of her own terms, but this was part of dealing with the birdmen. You had to be very specific, or they would twist words around.

'' Agreed. '' The Avian said with a nod of his head. '' I shall have a scribe draw up a treaty immediately. How fast can your troops gather and be prepared to move?'' Now it was time to see how much the tribesman would be prepared to commit to the conflict.

At this Rehal thought for a second before replying. "Ejrahk do not sit in houses, or in one spot. We are wide-spread, so it will take time to find our people and send troops. This will be our gathering point. I would say...." She opened both hands, holding up ten fingers. "Ten shells, in a week and a half's time. Three hundred per shell." Her hand closed, showing three of her fingers. "Three thousand warriors of the god. Will this be enough to kill the half-men? More will take more time. I can give you one shell tomorrow, there is another tribe not far from here. As they come and organize we can give you shells as they form. One tomorrow, maybe two several days after that. But our warriors will come here, and you can send men to guide them to the battle." Rehal understood the need for urgency and timing in a battle, but there was simply nothing she could do to speed up the process. Unless they had ways to outrun a galloping horse, bred over the years to become swift and hardy. Surely the Ezrian weren't that desperate, as to need three thousand warriors in under a week.

'' That will be adequate, the situation at the front is stable. But my liege is eager to begin his counterattack into the Dwarven homeland, the sooner your people have gathered for the coming fight than the better. I shall leave men here to guide your troops once they have gathered. As of now, the King only requires 3,000 troops but the war may widen... We shall see, and talk more when it comes time for that. '' The Ezrian's along with Mille had made a move against Shridus, if a decisive victory could not be won than the coastline would be vulnerable to attack. With another firm nod, the Ezrian diplomat turned and rode back towards the Ezrian border poster. Now that the Empire had her allies, she could soon turn her attention to crushing those that opposed her.

It would be more than a week before a second Ezrian delegation approached the Ejrakh border. A messanger was sent across, and a meeting set again with the 'government' if you could call it that. Ambassador Anda was back after negotiating the treaty of alliance, this time with a different offer altogether. As always with the representative of the Ejrakh approached, ANda was polite but brutally blunt.

'' My Emperor brings an offer. He would like to establish trade guilds within your city to facilitate the transport of goods. Ezrian merchants are keenly interested in the resources that your people possess. ''

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This time, the representative of Ejrahk was not alone. Rehal had called a convention of Matria, and now sixteen of her sisters had arrived, along with their tribes and warriors. The messenger would surely have noted the massive gathering of the Ejrahk beyond the hills. This time Rehal would do things properly, and in accordance with the beloved ways set down by her ancestor. All seventeen Matria rode out to see the single ambassador. In a sort of compromise of their numbers, they left all guards and warriors behind. They were well and fully capable of defending themselves, should the time come. Sitting on their mounts in a semi-circle, Rehal sat slightly ahead of the bunch. "And what would Ezria give the Ejrahk?"

'' We could give you access to timber so that your people could begin building, in exchange for the iron ore that your people possess. In addition, my lord would provide architects to aid in the construction of your cities. '' The Ejrakh had limited experience it seemed building in stone, whereas the Ezrian's had built a massive highway system, sprawling temples, and thirty foot high defensive walls.

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"We do not wish cities." Rehal stressed the plural. "Our tents are our cities." Still, she glanced among her sisters. "Still, we do have some iron to trade. Wood in Kresh would be welcome. Many of the dwellings are falling apart. We could make wondrous housing for the priests." The Matrias nodded. Rehal swung her horse around, and they quickly arranged into a circle, facing inwards to debate. Some wished that no birdman would be allowed into their lands no matter what. Others hardly cared. Rehal pointed out their need for better buildings, even if it was the one place they possessed them. Eventually, maybe other sacred places of worship could be built. After nearly forty minutes they reformed, Rehal speaking. "We will trade, but we need some of the iron we have now. We will trade you half, for wood and architects. Your people may come to Kresh. But when in our holy city, you live by our rules."

'' Then we are agreed. Our architects will be sent along with the timber, our men will obey your customs as you've requested. '' Batyn said with a nod of his head. It was an adequate deal as far as the Empire was concerned. She was in need of iron and more mineral resources. The trade guilds in Ejrakh would generate much needed income for the countries coffers.